The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), the largest federation of unions in the United States, has called on federal lawmakers to end the government shutdown and ensure payment for workers affected by the ongoing crisis. The shutdown, which entered its fourth week, has left 1.4 million federal workers and at least 1 million federal contractors without pay, with more paychecks expected to be missed if Congress fails to act.
The government shutdown began in early October as a result of a dispute between Republicans and Democrats over funding. While Republicans sought to maintain their funding plans, Democrats aimed to reverse recent Medicaid cuts and extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies to prevent millions of Americans from losing healthcare coverage. Despite passing a funding bill in the House, Republicans face challenges in securing enough support in the Senate to advance most legislation.
In response, the AFL-CIO released a letter from its director of advocacy, Jody Calemine, urging senators to support measures that would provide backpay and continued pay to federal workers, contractors, and military personnel during the shutdown. The letter emphasized that these individuals serve the public daily, often without compensation, while facing financial hardship. Calemine criticized the administration for using workers’ financial struggles as political leverage, citing unlawful reductions-in-force and threats to deny backpay in violation of the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act.
The letter was sent before the Senate voted on two proposed bills, both of which were blocked by Republicans. Notably, all Democratic senators except for Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock of Georgia opposed a Republican bill that would have provided payments to some military personnel and federal workers not furloughed.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump announced that an anonymous “friend” had donated $130 million to support military salaries. He described the donor as “a patriot.” The Pentagon confirmed the donation, stating it would be used to offset service members’ salaries and benefits under its general gift acceptance authority. However, the move has drawn criticism from various quarters.
Congressional appropriators from both parties have requested more information about the donation, while Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) raised concerns about the potential risk of foreign influence. The watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington also expressed alarm, arguing that the U.S. government should be funded by the American people, not anonymous donors.
In addition, the House clerk designated October 27 through November 2 as a district work period, prompting criticism from Congressman Jason Crow (D-Colo.), who accused Republicans of extending their vacation while the government remains shut down. The situation highlights growing frustration over the lack of leadership and the impact of the shutdown on federal workers and their families.
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